Extreme Makeover, Accounting Practice Edition

by AccountingWeb on Oct 19 2011printer friendly

Reality TV has brought us “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition.” It might be time for “Extreme Makeover, Accounting Practice Edition.” The recession has made many businesses re-evaluate their core business structures, and CPA firms are no exception. Many have changed direction. And many that have kept their core business have added new revenue streams. The question is, do they now have the staff with the right stuff to be successful?

You can find all sorts of articles in the business news and blogs about coming up with new interview questions. But most of these articles skip the first and most important key to hiring winners. “Attracting and hiring winners for your accounting business takes more than thinking up new interview questions,” says Molina. “It’s a process that starts with developing a star profile.” The star profile provides a clear specific picture of the successful person in your firm. Then you use that profile as a stencil to measure all candidates against,” explains Molina.

So the key question is, what does your staff need to accomplish in order to bring you success? Then how do these accomplishments translate into skills and abilities that you look for when hiring? Only when these are answered are you ready to craft the effective interview questions that will help you hire the winners who will transform the practice.

Molina is co-founder and President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches.